Expansion comb or hook reed for slashers and beamers



Au 30, 1960 D. L. GILSTRAP EXPANSION COMB OR HOOK REED FOR SLASHERS AND BEAMERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1959 AZTOZ/VEY 30,1960 D. L. GILSTRAP I EXPANSION COMB OR HOOK REED FOR SLASHERS AND BEAMERS Filed May 19, 1959 I 2. Sheets-$heet 2 n HHHJ. m *W'H" MW #5 3E 41 I l k rs =0 II b 4 M s? l :::::::c s a 1N J g W Wm g n w \Q L R G Q g l... a S .33 L& 0 v? l g I R INVENTOR.

ArraeA/e Y United States Patent EXPANSION COMB OR HOOK REED FOR SLASHERS AND BEAMERS Doc L. Gilstrap, 420 Woodland Drive, Belton, S.C.

Filed May 19, 1959, Ser. No. 814,278

7 Claims. (CI. 28-55) This invention relates to an expansion comb or hook reed for slashers and beamers, and it particularly relates to a device of the aforesaid type which will provide a better and more uniform spread of the yarn.

Expansion combs have long been used in the textile industry and various devices of this type have heretofore been provided wherein the reeds or dents have been laterally movable relative to each other to provide for variations in the movement of threads. However, these prior devices were generally either excessively complex in structure or function, or did not adequately perform their desired function.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the defects of prior machines of this type by providing an expansion comb or hook reed which is relatively simple in structure, easy to install and use and yet highly effective for its purpose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid type which permits the distance between the reeds to be readily adjusted to suit the various conditions that might arise in actual practice.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved expansion comb or hook reed, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved expansion comb or hook reed that can be used on the front of slashers, warpers and beamers in place of the present comb, and the ends or yarn can be leased too.

With the above and related objects in View, the present invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown an elongated rectangular housing 10 open at the top and having a series of apertures at the bottom. The housing 10 is provided with bearings 12 at each end. Arms 14 extend laterally from each bearing 12 and are provided with collars 16 slidably positioned on a rod 18 mounted on a slasher or beamer (not shown).

Depending from each bearing 12 is a threaded rod 20, the left hand rod 20 (as viewed in Fig. 1) having a left hand thread and the right hand rod 20 having a right hand thread. Each rod 20 extends through an internally 2,958,519 Patented Aug. 30, 1960 ice threaded hub 22 having an external bevel gear 24. The hubs 22 are rotatably supported on the horizontal wall 26 of a bracket'having a vertical wall 28. A hub 30 is rotatably positioned in each wall 28; each hub 30 having a bevel gear 32 and each hub 30 being arranged on opposite ends of the shaft 34 extending horizontally below the housing 10. The bracket on the right hand side is also provided with an additional vertical wall 36 in which is rotatably positioned a hub 38 having a bevel gear 40 in mesh with the corresponding gear 24. The hub 38 is mounted at one end of a crank handle 42.

Above housing 10 is provided a second housing 44 generally similar to housing 10. This housing 44 is provided with a bearing 46 at each end, each bearing 46 being provided with an arm 48 having a collar 50 slidably connected to rod 18. The housing 44 itself is supported above the housing 10 by oppositely positioned bars 52 of generally square cross-section, these bars 52 extending upwardly from bearings 12 into bearings 46 and fixed in bearings 46 by pins 54.

Extending between the two housings 10 and 44 are a plurality of reeds 56 and 58, the reeds 56 being arranged alternately with the reeds 58.

The reeds 56 each comprise a lower wedge-shaped cam portion 60 (as best seen in Fig. 4), an intermediate narrow straight portion 62 and a wedge-shaped cam portion 64 at its upper end. The intermediate portions 62 extend into the housing 44 through a slot in the bottom of the housing. Both wedge-shaped portions 60 and 64 extend from a relatively wide portion at the bottom to a relatively narrow portion at the top. In addition, the lower cam portion 60 is provided with oppositely extending lugs 66 which extend into grooves 68 provided on the inner wall surfaces of housing 10. The intermediate portion 62 is provided with a pair of struckout, oppositely bent fingers 70 serving as lease hooks.

The reeds 58 each comprise a lower cam portion 72 of a wedge shape opposite to that of cam portions 60, an intermediate, narrow straight portion 74 and an upper wedge-shaped cam portion 76 of a shape similar to cam portion 72. Each intermediate portion 74 is provided with a cut-out portion 78 to correspond with the fingers 70.

The wedge-shaped cam portions 72 of reeds 58 are each provided at their lower ends with straight extensions 80 which pass through corresponding apertures in the bottom of housing 10. Each extension 80 is provided with a ring 82 encircling the shaft 34 (as best shown in Fig. 4).

The end reed 56, at each end of the series of reeds, is provided with a hook portion on its lug 66. This hook portion extends through a slot 84 at each end of the housing 10 and is connected to one end of a spring 86, the opposite end of the spring being connected to the housing 10 as at 88. By means of these springs 86, the reeds 56 and 58 will be urged together at all times. Similar springs and slots 92 are provided on housin 44.

In operation, by turning the handle 42 in one direction the gears are caused to move downwardly, carrying shaft 34 and the reed extensions 80 down with them. This moves the wedge-shaped cam portions 72 relative to the wedge-shaped cam portions 60, causing the reeds to spread apart. When the handle 42 is rotated in the opposite direction, it causes the shaft 34 to move upwardly, thereby causing the reeds to draw closer together.

Thumb-screws 94 are provided in corresponding openings in housing 44 for the purpose of releasably retaining wedge-shaped cam portions 76 of reeds 58 fixed to housing 44 to prevent acidental displacement of the reeds when the device has been adjusted to the desired position.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is: I

1. An expansion comb assembly comprising an upper housing and a lower housing mounted on a support, a rotatable shaft operatively connected to said lower housing for vertical movement relative to said lower housing, means for rotating said shaft, a plurality of aligned reeds supported in said housings, said reeds being arranged in two series wherein the reeds of one series alternate with the reeds of the other series, the reeds of one series being connected to said lower housing while the reeds of the other series extend through the bottom of said lower housing, the-reeds all having cam portions of wedge-shaped contours, the cam portions of the reeds of one series being complementary to the cam portions of the reeds of the other series andbeing movable relative thereto.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said upper housing is arranged in spaced relation to said lower housing, said reeds havingintermediate straight portions between said housings and being provided with complementary cam portions within said upper housing corresponding to said first mentioned cam portions.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said reeds are resiliently urged toward each other by oppositely-biased spring means.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein means are provided to releasably connect the reeds of'said one series to said housing. 5. An expansion comb assembly comprising supporting standards adapted to be mounted on a slasher or beamer, a pair of elongated, rectangular, horizontal housings connected to each other in vertically spaced relationship and provided with collars slidably connected to said standards,

a rotatable shaft underlying the lower housing, said shaft being vertically movable relative to said lower housing, and provided with a bevel gear at each end, oppositely disposed threaded rods depending from said lower housing and each extending through an internally threaded hub having an external bevel gear in mesh with the corresponding bevel gear on said shaft, a third bevel gear mounted on an operating handle and in mesh with the bevel gear on one of said internally threaded hubs, aplurality of laterally arranged reeds extending between said housings, said reeds being arranged in two different series wherein the reeds of one series alternate with those of the other V series and are provided with team portions in both housings complementary to cam portions on the reeds of the other series, the reeds ofone' seriesbeing movable with said shaft and the reeds of the other series being connected to said lower housing, said reeds being resiliently urged toward each other. v I

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the intermediate portions of the reeds between'the housings are straight and are spaced from each other in accordance with the relative positions of their cam portions. '7.The assembly or claim 6 where said reeds are resiliently urged towardeach other by oppositely disposed springs on each housing having one of their ends connected to an endmost reed.

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,013,714 Wilson Jan. 21, 1912 2,151,475 Kaufmann Mar. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 45,835 Sweden Apr. 11, 1911 114,694 Germany Oct. 19, 1899 1 l I l t z 

